Coupling



(No Model.)

H. L. FLINT.

COUPLING.

No. 589,708. Patented Sept. 7, 1897.

A r I r I. l

in g drawings,

U NiTEn STATES PATENT EETEE.

HER BERT L. FLINT, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 589,708, datedSeptember *7, 1897.

' Application filed November 16, 1896. $erial No. 612,208. (No model.)

To (all toil/0121.- it may concern/.2

Be it known that I, HERBERT L. FLINT, of Cambridge, county of Middlesex,$tate of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Couplings, ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanyis aspecification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of a novel couplingdevice for shafts and other things to be joined end to end.

I have shown my invention as applied to joining two shafts, and the endof one is shown as slotted to present prongs which entercorrespondingly-shaped grooves made in the end of the other shaft.

The particular shape in crosssection of the prongs or lingers and of thegrooves to receive them may be variously n'iodified without departingfrom my invention so long as the prongs or fingers substantially fit thesaid grooves.

The two ends of the shafts having been interlocked, the interlockedparts are held in engagement by means of a circular band or collarprovided, preferably, with two slots, each of which is entered. by a pinor projcction, one from each of the shaft ends.

The collar may be carried permanently by one of said shaft ends and maybe coupled with the other of said ends by means of a bayonetslot and pinor projection.

Figure 1 shows two shaft ends united in accordance with my invention.Fig. 2 shows the same being put together, and Figs. 3 and i show theends of the shafts prepared to be forked together.

The shaft end A is cut away at opposite points, as at a, to form aplurality of prongs a a, and the shaft end B is cut away to formrecesses, as b, for the reception of the prongs a, where the two shaftends are forked to gether.

The forked part A is herein shown as surrounded by a loose collar 0,having a slot 0, in which stands a pin or projection o',extended fromone of the prongs 0.. This collar has a second slot 0 which is enteredby a pin or projection o extended from the part 13, and preferably saidslot o has an extension 0, leading out to the end of the collar, so thatwhen the shaft ends are being put together the pin or projection 0 mayenter the slot o as in Fig. 2, and as the forked end is further closed,as in Fig. l, the said pin or projection enters the inclined slot 6which effectually locks the parts A 13 together.

The plan herein described for uniting the two shaft ends maybe employedto unite any two round ends in cross-section which are capable of beingforked together, and by the term shaft end I intend to include and coverany ends of any articles to be joined detachably together.

The fingers and the grooves for their reception may, and preferablywill, be tapered.

The slotted collar and the pins cooperating therewith constitute alocking device to prevent cndwise movement or separation of said ends;but I may vary the construction of the lockin g device without departingfrom my in: vention, for I am not aware that a locking device of anykind has ever been combined with two forked ends to hold the same one inthe other.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s-

1. Two ends A, l3, slotted and grooved to enable them to be forkedtogether, combined with a collar surrounding said forked ends, saidcollar having two slots, and each slot receiving a pin or stud from oneof said ends, substantially as described.

2. The forked end A, the grooved end B, the loose collar having slots 0,and 0 c and a pin or projection to retain said collar on one of saidends, combined with a pin or projection on the other of said ends toenter said slot 0' 0 substantially as described.

A coupling the members of which are grooved at their adjacent ends, oneof said members being longitudinally slotted, to enable thcm to beforked together, combined with a collar rotatably connected with onemember and to surround the said forked ends, and a detachablepin-and-slot connection between the collar and the other member,substantially as described.

In. testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT L. FLINT.

'Witnesses:

GEO. W. GREGORY, EMMA J. BENNETT.

